Bali plans to restart overseas tourism in April 2022: Well being Minister

It will be at least another year before Bali is open to international tourists, the Indonesian health minister said last week. This declaration has caused setbacks for public figures and tourism actors in the economically troubled province.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin reportedly said officials had set a schedule for Bali to reopen to overseas tourism in April 2022. The current plan appears to include a rigorous vaccination program and trial runs in areas designated as “Green Zones” which include Ubud, Nusa Dua and Sanur.

“We’ll start very soon. I’ve already met with the governor [to] Prepare to make Bali the healthiest travel destination. This will need time. ” Said Budias quoted by tribune.

“Ideally, Bali needs to be declared safe after WHO and UNICEF agree to hold an international meeting in Bali,” he added, stressing that the reopening of Bali must be done as carefully as possible, not just quickly.

Budi’s announcement is the first indication of a possible timetable for Bali to reopen after Governor Wayan Koster stated last week that the designated green areas are part of a new strategy for safe travel after COVID-19, which is a program for the free COVID corridor includes.

Given that Bali’s economy has been strongly influenced With the COVID-19 pandemic, some were quick to review the potential schedule.

“As a tourism player, we hope that Bali can open up [foreign] Tourism next April or May. By creating safe zones, ”said Putu Winastra, member of the Indonesian Association for Tours and Travel (ASITA).

Meanwhile also Balinese designer and politician Niluh Djelantik took to Instagram to express their concerns.

“Bali and other regions dependent on tourism are dying, Minister. If you want to make such a decision, it should be combined with real action so that the Bali economy can keep moving, even if it is slow. For example, free vaccines for local tourists, ”wrote Niluh.

Koster previously stated that tens of thousands of those who live and work in the green areas will be vaccinated as part of the program, although he has not yet to provide any further details on the strategy.

Epidemiologists have too warned against the feasibility of the planned green zones in Bali with the province’s current COVID-19 approach. Officials must meet some key goals, including at least two weeks with no death reports, before they even consider getting mass tourism going again.